Posted to Ottawa? Let’s make the house search manageable.
A short house-hunting trip is easier when the important decisions are made before you travel. We’ll narrow the areas, understand the budget and build a shortlist you can actually use.
I’m Chris Nash, an Ottawa REALTOR® with Royal LePage Team Realty. I help with the real-estate decisions and follow-through. Your relocation coordinator and official directive govern your benefits and approvals.
Start with three things
Your timing. What is confirmed, what is still tentative and when might you visit or need possession?
Your comfortable budget. Confirm financing, available deposit funds and closing costs with your lender.
Your daily routine. General work location, commute, housing preferences and any school or accessibility priorities that affect the search.
You do not need to share sensitive posting details or personal records with me. Broad location and timing are enough to start comparing options.
Before your house-hunting trip
Narrow the areas first
Ottawa covers a large area. Kanata, Stittsville, Nepean, Barrhaven, Riverside South, Orléans and central Ottawa offer different housing and commute trade-offs. We’ll compare the areas around your actual routine rather than choose from a citywide “best neighbourhood” ranking.
Explore Ottawa communities · Check school options by address
Build a focused shortlist
I can set up a personalized property portal and help put asking prices in context with relevant sales and current competition. We’ll identify what is essential, what is flexible and which homes are worth your travel time.
Preview the promising homes
A live video or property preview can help you understand layout, street context, visible maintenance concerns and nearby changes. I’ll point out the drawbacks as well as the features. A preview helps eliminate poor fits; it does not replace an inspection or other due diligence.
During the trip
We’ll group showings by area, allow time to compare the serious options and leave room for second visits. For each home, look beyond the list price:
Fit: layout, space, commute and everyday convenience.
Costs: taxes, condo fees where applicable, maintenance and work you may need to budget for.
Evidence: comparable sales, current competition and property-specific questions.
Timing: possession, financing, deposit and the appropriate offer conditions.
If you decide to offer, we’ll work through the terms together. Your lender, lawyer and inspector provide the advice and verification within their own areas.
Read the house-hunting trip guide
Selling elsewhere and buying here?
Plan the two transactions together before choosing dates. A purchase that looks workable on its own may become difficult if the sale, mortgage funds or possession timing do not line up.
We’ll discuss the dependencies with your current Realtor and lender, including sale timing, conditions, closing flexibility and whether temporary accommodation needs to be considered. If you need an agent at origin, I can help identify a suitable professional.
Work through the selling-and-buying options
After an accepted offer
The work continues through the conditions and closing. We’ll keep the real-estate next steps clear: agreed deadlines, due-diligence questions, the final visit, possession and coordination with your professional team.
Your moving arrangements, benefit approvals and travel authorizations need their own confirmation through the appropriate relocation channels.
Confirm benefits before committing to an expense
Do not rely on a general guide or another member’s experience to assume an expense will be reimbursed. Confirm the current directive, your circumstances, required approvals and service-provider requirements with your relocation coordinator before committing.
Which relocation provider you deal with depends on when your file was authorized. National Defence lists SIRVA for relocation files authorized on or after January 6, 2026, and BGRS for files authorized before that date. Your relocation coordinator can confirm which applies to you.
Read the official CAF Relocation Directive
SIRVA relocation assistance resources
Find official NCR housing resources
Still waiting for the posting details?
We can begin with area comparisons and market education while dates remain tentative. Keep that preparation separate from spending or commitments that require confirmation.
If you might be leaving Ottawa instead, read what you can prepare before an outgoing posting is confirmed.
Tell me where you are in the move
Send your approximate move date, general work location and whether you are buying, selling or still deciding. I’ll help identify the next useful real-estate step.
